Save yourself a lot of messing around and just buy the tank setup. A dip tank is a unique shape/size that you can't easily find anywhere. It has to be tall and wide enough for the screens, but not very large from front to back. You will be wasting a lot of money filling up a typical plastic bin with chemicals. The chemicals last a very long time if you dip your screen and take them out in a short time. Letting them sit in the tank only wastes the chemicals life span. The time in the tank depends on how fresh the chemicals are, and what kind of emulsion your using. For me, using a fresh tank and Ulano Proclaim emulsion, I dip for 15-30 seconds and then pressure wash. Emulsion washes right off. To refresh the tank you can just add a little chemical each month. No need to start all over.

 

Save $200+

Mobile Container, Storage Tote with Wheels in Stock - ULINE

There are a ton of different sized cartons out there. Just search around. This one has wheels and it's 20x28" on the inside so you can lay the screens down inside with just a couple inches of cleaning solution for a couple screens at a time.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...eId=10151&productId=3098753&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

You could bring a screen to Lowes and see if it fits in something like this, but flat.

 

Build the exact size you need out of plywood, 3-4 layers of fiberglass (mat and resin) inside and done. I would put a bar or something inside to keep the screen off the bottom and I would install a spout near the bottom to easily drain. This has been the cheapest and most custom way I have found. There's some good ideas on YouTube as well. I am about to build mine. Good luck my man!!!

 

I should mention...I'm making a flat style one for a table top. I don't see myself reclaiming many screens for the next 6 months. It'll hold enough fluid to hold 2 screens.

I'm pondering making 2, one tank for ink removal

 

Take your cardboard box that the screens were shipped in and put a few of the really heavy duty garbage bags to line the inside. Total cost $2.

I don't know if the reclaimer solution will eat away at the bags though. Someone else can try that method first.

 

LOL, yeah, I'm not that cheap.

 

OH SNAP! I might do that as a temp thing :mask:

 

Make sure you reinforce the cardboard with some good tape.

Post pics when it spills everywhere.

 

Forget the garbage bags...I'll just fiberglass the cardboard lol

 

You guys crack me up. LOL. Do you want to clean screens or do you want to have an art project?
And don't buy or build anything that you lay your screens flat. Where do you think all that emulsion and ink residue go? Yes, it settles to the bottom. Do you want to reclaim your mesh or coat it in a bunch of old residue? If you want an art project, at least make one that resembles a professionally made product so that the end result will work for you. Otherwise, like most DIY projects I see in these forums, you are wasting your money and time.

 

Dip tanks are an example of equipment that is extremely expensive for what it is. I would definitely DIY one or find an alternative container if I did a lot of reclaiming. For less than what they charge for those things, you could have one custom fabbed out of stainless or aluminum (assuming you don't have a welder yourself). I assume such materials would be safe to use, as the chems don't eat the frames off the mesh.

Art projects! What's wrong with a little art project, now and then? You should see my modernist tool shed

 

I totally agree that they are over priced for what they are, but they are not over priced for what they do. Hope that makes sense. They are designed tall and wide to hold your screens and submerge them in emulsion remover. and they are not very deep from front to back for a couple of reasons. One is to save a ton of money on the amount of chemicals you need to put in the tank. Less water and remover are needed to fill a narrow tank. The other is, in my opinion, because you don't really need to dip more than a few screens at a time anyway. The dipping time is only about 30 seconds or less with fresh chemicals. Pressure wash one while one is in the tank. Even that is too long in the tank. I also agree that art projects are a lot of fun. I have a bunch of them, mostly unfinished because I always start another one.